1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for introducing and circulating fresh water into the livewell of a fishing boat and is more particularly concerned with an apparatus which is mounted through the transom of a fishing boat and which extends beyond the bottom of the boat and below the surface of the water so as to deliver water to the livewell circulation system in a pre-selected quantity of flow rate while the boat is moving through the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Anglers of all types and skill levels have long known the desirability of keeping the fish they have caught alive for extended periods of time, for example, throughout the fishing day. For the pleasure or food angler, keeping caught fish alive is important in maintaining the freshness of the fish. For the sports angler, keeping caught fish alive generally is a requirement in order to qualify for prize money in fishing contests.
One of the oldest, most well-known and most used method of keeping caught fish alive is to place the caught fish in a net or perforated pail and to submerge the net or pail in the body of water to a depth such that the fish are submerged, and the rim of the net or pail is situated such that the fish cannot escape. A second old, well-known and well-used method of keeping caught fish alive is to string the fish on a wire or cord extending through the fish's mouth and out one of its gills and then to hang the string of fish in the water. Both of these methods are well-suited to static fishing situations; however, when a fisherman desires to quickly moved from one fishing locale to another, the fisherman must take the net or pail or string of fish out of the water, place it in his boat, move to the new locale and then replace the net or pail or string of fish in the water. This is both time consuming and can cause damage to the caught fish.
One method invented to ease the burden of the fisherman in keeping caught fish alive and, at the same time, being mobile is called the "livewell". The basic livewell is a tub or reservoir physically located in the fishing boat. Livewells range from simple solid tubs to complex reservoir systems including hoses and pumps to bring fresh water in from the body of water and overflows through a drain to discharge stale water to the lake. Such positive circulation livewells are the livewells of choice to the sports fisherman.
The basic positive circulation livewell generally includes an intake port generally on the transom of a boat, a hose leading from the intake hole to a pump, a hose leading from the pump to a spray nozzle inside the top of a livewell reservoir, a master drain hose leading from the bottom of the reservoir to an open/close valve and from the valve to the outside of the boat, and an overflow drain leading from the top-side of the reservoir to the outside of the boat. Some drains do not have a valve and a rubber stopper is used to plug the drain inside the reservoir. In operation, when the fishing boat is stationary in the water the intake port on the transom of the boat is below the surface of the water. The pump is turned on and forces the fresh water through the spray nozzle and into the livewell where the caught fish are placed. To keep the water level in the livewell at a certain height, one can close the master drain valve causing the incoming water to rise to the point in which it overflows out of the overflow drain at the top of the reservoir. The pump can remain on until one is ready to drain the system. To drain the system, one opens the master drain valve causing the reservoir water to flow out of the livewell to the outside of the boat.
A disadvantage of the conventional livewell configuration is that such livewell configurations do not operate when the fishing boat is moving at more than a slow speed. When boats begin to move they create a trough behind the boat such that water generally does not come in contact with the rear transom. As the boat picks up speed, the trough is more pronounced and generally water will not come to the level of the intake port. Thus, when the boat is moving the intake port is not submerged and no oxygenated water can be pumped through the system into the livewell. To avoid subjecting the fish to long time periods without fresh oxygenated water, a recirculation system is necessary and generally is added to this livewell configuration. The recirculation system is activated when the boat is moving such that the water in the livewell is recirculated through a series of pumps and hoses back into the livewell. Such recirculation systems aerate the water thus assisting in keeping the fish alive for an extended period of time; however, no fresh water can be introduced to the livewell configuration while the boat is moving.